HeyGen vs Tolstoy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HeyGen grades higher than Tolstoy: 2.6 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HeyGen grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms. Tolstoy grades higher on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
HeyGen
AI video generator with realistic avatars and video translation
Tolstoy
AI studio for ecommerce product videos, ads and shoppable video
Which one is for you
Pick HeyGen if
- Fits if you need a presenter on screen and don't want to film one
- Works for videos that must go out in several languages with the lips matching
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you only need a video now and then, since you pay every month regardless
- Tight if you want the newest avatars, where Creator's 600 credits is about 12 minutes and there's no top-up
- Not for you if you need to know the bill in advance, as credit use varies with the model, length and complexity
- Skip it if refunds or quick support matter: payments are generally non-refundable, and reviewers report unanswered emails
- Watch out: credits vanish when you cancel or pause, SSO and SCORM start on Business at $149 a month, and extra seats add no credits
Pick Tolstoy if
- Fits if you run an online store and want product photos and ads made with AI
- Works for teams that want shoppable video on product pages
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, since none is listed on the pricing page
- Pricey if you add people, at $20 a seat a month on Plus and Business
- Watch out: video viewers are counted separately, and extra ones cost $10 per 1,000 on Plus
- Watch out: credits drain at different rates for different models and actions
- Skip it if you sell nothing online, because it is built for stores
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHeyGenGood | 1.6GPATolstoyWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DCreator is $24 a month on yearly billing against a $10 middle for video tools here, and that buys 600 credits. HeyGen's help page puts its newest avatar at 48 credits a minute, so about 12 minutes of video. 4K and all the advanced models need Pro at $41. | CPlus is $16 a workspace a month billed yearly ($20 monthly), which sits level with the category's $14 middle. Business is $80, and extra seats cost $20 each. |
| Free plan and trial | CThree videos a month, a minute each, and the help center says the quota is 1 to 3 depending on region. No card needed, but the watermark stays until you pay, and 1080p starts on Creator. | FThe pricing page lists no free plan or trial. The homepage says Start for free, but its terms weren't confirmed. |
| Features | BStock and custom avatars, voice cloning, lip-synced translation into 175+ languages, a Video Agent that builds a whole video from one prompt, and an API with an MCP server. Synthesia covers the same ground, and here credits meter all of it. | CMedia Studio, Ads Studio, Storefront Studio and Shop Bots. Credits aren't a fixed number of photos or videos, so what a plan buys is hard to predict. |
| Ease of use | A4.78 from about 26,000 App Store ratings, the highest in this category. One reviewer who hands anything technical to their teenager made videos alone. Working out what things cost in credits is the hard part, going by the one-star reviews. | CNo store rating on record. Connecting your store, setting up bots and learning the credit system comes first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with an API, an MCP server and Canva and Adobe Express plugging straight in. There's no desktop app, and Zapier, Make and HubSpot are listed under Business. | CWeb only, with Meta the only integration listed. |
| Best for | presenter videos without a camera | AI product photos, ads and shoppable video for online stores |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: HeyGen and Tolstoy. How we grade
Price against what you get
HeyGen starts at $24 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Tolstoy starts at $16 a month and scores 2.0.
HeyGen scores higher, and starts $8 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, none scores higher than HeyGen for less, and 51 score higher than Tolstoy for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- HeyGen also covers templates.
- Tolstoy also covers video generation, chatbots and ad creative.
At a glance
| HeyGen | Tolstoy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) | $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Up to 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute each (1 to 3 depending on region), with 500+ stock video avatars, 1 custom video avatar, 1 voice clone and 30+ languages. No credit card required. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | HeyGen Technology Inc. | Tolstoy |
| Price read from | heygen.com | gotolstoy.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
HeyGen
- The Free plan allows up to 3 videos a month of 1 minute each, and the help centre says the quota is 1 to 3 depending on region. Watermark removal and 1080p export start on Creator.
- Paid plans are metered in credits, and the number a video uses varies with the AI model, its duration and its complexity.
- SAML/SSO, SCORM export, LMS integrations and workspace collaboration are listed from Business at $149 a month, plus $20 per extra seat.
- Unused credits roll over for one month on monthly billing and are lost when a subscription is cancelled.
Tolstoy
- Usage is capped monthly: AI credits, plus video viewers counted separately; extra viewers cost $10 per 1,000 on Plus and $7 on the first two Business steps.
- Credits are not a fixed number of photos or videos; models and actions use different amounts.
- Extra team members cost $20 per seat a month on Plus and Business.
- The homepage offers Start for free, but the pricing page lists no free plan; its terms were not confirmed.
Key features
HeyGen
- AI avatars
- Scripts are delivered by stock video avatars or a custom avatar of yourself, with lip-sync across more than 175 languages and dialects.
- Video Agent
- Type an idea and get a finished video with presenter footage, motion graphics and B-roll. Every element stays editable afterwards in AI Studio.
- AI Studio editor
- A text-based editor that directs words, gestures and emotion from the script, with Brand Kit, auto captions and comments for teams.
- Video translation
- Upload a file or paste a YouTube link to translate a video with cloned voice and lip-sync. Pro adds editing and proofreading of the translated script.
- Voice cloning
- Clone your voice so avatar and translated videos keep your tone and delivery. Voice cloning is listed from the Creator plan.
- API and integrations
- Developer APIs for video generation, translation and lip-sync, an MCP server, and direct integrations with tools such as Canva and Adobe Express.
Tolstoy
- Media Studio
- Creates product photos, reshoots, colorways, videos and creator-style content.
- Ads Studio
- Turns content into ad creative and Meta campaigns, including creative refreshes.
- Storefront Studio
- Adds virtual try-on, shoppable video and a Personal Shopper assistant to a store.
- Shop Bots
- AI agents for roles such as creative director or ads manager, whose work the team reviews and approves.
- Forward
- Hands-on setup and workshops from Tolstoy's team, an add-on to Business and included in Enterprise.
Plans
HeyGen
Free$0
Up to 3 videos a month (1 to 3 depending on region) of up to 1 minute each, 500+ stock video avatars, 1 custom video avatar, 1 voice clone and 30+ languages.
Creator$24
per month, billed annually ($288); $29 billed monthly
600 credits a month, videos up to 30 minutes, 1080p export, watermark removal, voice cloning and 175+ languages and dialects.
Pro$41
per month, billed annually ($488); $49 billed monthly
From 1,000 credits a month, with larger credit tiers at higher prices, 4K export and access to all advanced AI models.
Business$119
per month, billed annually ($1,428); $149 billed monthly
1,500 credits, videos up to 60 minutes, 5 or 10 custom video avatars depending on the account, SAML/SSO, SCORM export and collaboration. Extra seats are $20 a month each.
EnterpriseCustom
No maximum video duration, multi-workspace management, SCIM provisioning, invoice billing and a dedicated customer success manager.
Tolstoy
Plus$16
per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
4,000 AI credits a month (3,000 Studio, 1,000 Onsite AI) and 5,000 video viewers a month; extra viewers $10 per 1,000.
Business$80
per workspace / month, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)
20,000 AI credits and 25,000 video viewers a month; steps at $160 and $400 a month billed annually add credits and viewers. Studio credit top-ups available.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom usage and contracts, security and permission controls, bot versioning, custom integrations, and Tolstoy Forward included.
Ways to pay less
HeyGen
- Annual discount
Save about 16% to 20% with annual billing
Creator is $24 a month billed annually ($288) against $29 billed monthly. Pro is $41 against $49, and Business is $119 against $149.
Tolstoy
- Annual discount
Yearly billing lowers the monthly price
Plus is $16 a month billed yearly ($192) against $20 monthly; the Business steps are $80, $160 and $400 against $100, $200 and $500.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, HeyGen or Tolstoy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tolstoy is cheaper to start with: $16 a month, against $24 a month for HeyGen. HeyGen starts at $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly), and Tolstoy starts at $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, HeyGen or Tolstoy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only HeyGen has a free plan. Tolstoy does not.
Which platforms do HeyGen and Tolstoy run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.